I’m making my first post here on Leminal Space because I hear it’s a better alternative to Reddit. One that’s more privacy-oriented, less rage-baity, and less pro-corporate.
About 9 months ago, I made the switch from a smartphone to a flip phone, and boy did it make my life so much better. I’ve become less dependent on technology, and I’ve become more self-sufficent. Printing maps with MapQuest and MyOSMmatic have been quite a lot of fun. And I also feel smarter because “Googling things” have become much more inconvenient.
Carrying a notebook with me has also allowed me to draw more, and I also feel less distracted. Anyone else switched to a flip phone? If so, what are your ways to manage life without a smart phone?
You must log in or register to comment.
I bought a ZTE last year as my first “cell phone”. I hardly ever use a phone and when I do use a phone I don’t like it. For what I use it for the monthly fee is way too high. I’d probably spend less than 10 dollars a month if it was like an old timey public “payphone”. I no longer want to do ph’d level research just to discover what to purchase or find the cheapest alternative. The world has become too complicated or maybe I have become too stupid/lazy in my elder years.
No, because you can no longer send private encrypted messages and everything will have to go over government owned telecom like SMS or cell towers, which are not encrypted.
Less rage baity. Hahaha good one!. Engaged and enraged, that’s the Lemmy way, just like reddit.
I tried the 2017 Nokia 3310 and a Samsung dumbphone but I think that my Google Pixel is waay better than those two.
I would have to surrender too much privacy and pay far more per month to use a dumbphone. No E2EE messaging and tracked by cell towers all the time (I use VoIP over wifi). When I’m out the phone is in my pocket 90% of the time. I take it out to check my shopping list or look at the store flyer.
For quite some time I used an indestructible, iconic Nokia just for telephony, and a tablet with MiFi router for everything else.
Now I’m using GrapheneOS on the phone and tablet, which is tethered. The tablet is Google-free.
I can’t use a Nokia, RIP. The old Nokias are incompatible with 4G VoLTE, and the new Nokias aren’t very good, at least not as good as the old Nokias.
Buy a (refurbished) Pixel, install GrapheneOS without Google Play. Use only libre software.
printing maps? i cannot tell if this post is a caricature or not
Inconvenient but studies shows that offline navigation is better for our brains
What’s wrong with printing maps?
I suppose the only thing wrong with printing maps is that it wastes paper and ink, but at the very least you don’t have to worry about location tracking, and you become less dependent on technology. You don’t have to worry about battery, internet, or “recalculating” whenever you take a wrong turn.
Well, paper is renewable and black ink I’d mostly carbon. There’s an environmental impact, no doubt, but the data center running Waze is got an impact too
That brings me back to the 1990s.
If you wait long enough every smartphone becomes a dumb phone 😒
I didn’t have to switch because I’ve never used a smartphone to begin with. My current dumbphone has a great UI, touchscreen for easy input even though it’s a very small screen, headphone jack, SD card slot, etc. It can act as a hotspot and has maps/voice navigation and current weather + daily forecast. The Tello service plan I have (uses T-Mobile network) is about $9.40/month. That’s with 1 GB data, but you can get unlimited data if for some reason you want that.
There is also a subscription available ($3.50/mo) which gives you live updated maps, voice dictation, and hourly weather but I haven’t needed those things. I just use the offline maps (more private anyway–you periodically download the latest map data), and I don’t need the other stuff. (edit: I have a Sunbeam Wireless phone and live in the US).
There are some inconveniences of course, like all the businesses you interact with want you to install their tracking apps, but I wouldn’t put that kind of crap on it even if I did have a smartphone. The main one that causes me issues is the grocery store that has special discounts (“digital coupons”) on some items if you use their app. I already have their damn store card which gives me the sale price on most stuff but now they also have this digital deal crap. I can work around that by going to their website ahead of time and look at what all digital coupons they have that week, and click on the ones I want so they will be on my card, which gives me the discount at checkout without needing their app–but I strongly resent having to do that. If they want to put something on sale, put it on sale for everyone! But no–it’s all about tracking you. Pigs. But I digress. Point is I get by fine without a smartphone, ymmv.
May I ask what phone you’re using? Sounds nice!
It’s a Sunbeam Wireless F1 Pro.
you may want to croos-post this in the degoogle community.
You can do that here? How do you do that?
See if there’s a cross post button on your post. I’m not sure what leminal space use as a backend. For example piefed has built in cross posting function.
If you’re on mobile and using an app, see if that app has a cross post function as well.
Otherwise most common way I see done is to make a new post on degoogle with a link to your OP here.
Welcome:)
Well. I don’t have a dumb phone but I installed e/os on my fairphone and didn’t install all those tracker apps. I like things like signal and writing with my friends, but I don’t like google shoving me ADS for their crap services down my throat
i was thinking of using a steamdeck+ gsm router as an everything device
Flip phones from my understanding typically use a Google based OS as well as plain SMS and calls are not encrypted. If I were you I’d use the Punkt MP02 phone because it’s very basic but uses Signal still for communication encryption. Otherwise I’m happy for you that you went through with it and are enjoying it
Isn’t the Punkt phone overpriced (In the case where you pay lots of money for a phone that does less. My Sonim XP3-Plus)? How well does it work with T-Mobile? Is it better to ditch T-Mobile entirely? (Gonna be difficult, my family likes the deal bundle too much.) And how hard is it to De-Google a Sonim XP3-Plus?
- Also, I have to take a Kyocera Digno 902kc with me to work. My Sonim XP3-Plus doesn’t let me install APKs, meaning I can’t use the Aegis Authenticator app to log into work. And I can’t use my Japanese 902kc to make calls or texts, so I have to take my Sonim XP3-Plus with me to work, too.
Obviously, the Punkt phone can’t install apps, and I am REQUIRED to have an authenticator app to log into work. What would be the best way to go about this?
I am REQUIRED to have an authenticator app to log into work
Do they pay you an allowance to install their app on your private phone? I was using a Nokia 2720 and my employer gave me a hardware token.
No. They want me to install the Microsoft Authenticator app. I use Aegis, >:3
Ask your job to buy you a phone. That’s what I did at my last job.
It is expensive for what it is but it’s really the only option I’m aware of that keeps things simple and has Signal (or anything other than normal SMS and calling). Not sure what cell provider it works with. I also know nothing about the Sonim.
As far as a smart phone goes for your authenticator you could put Lineage on a Hisense A9 phone. It’s an eink smartphone
I actually use a tablet for map and other things but I only use if for specific things and don’t have it on me all the time. I do have a smartphone because of previous work needs but I don’t use it for personal things.
